There are machines for automatic packaging of articles into containers or boxes, that in some cases can require previous introduction of a support into the box, since the particular container conformation does not allow the article to be placed firmly therein. An example is constituted by some containers used in the cosmetics field.
Moreover, in these cases, the article must be treated and must remain in a vertical position, as it is the only configuration that allows easy handling. Consequently, also during the introduction into the boxes, the articles must be in vertical position and the boxes must also be conveyed in the vertical position.
The used boxes are usually made of cardboard or paperboard, and just in the cosmetics and perfumery field they often have decorative treatments on the outer walls, that make them particularly delicate and subjected to scratches and easy damages.
Therefore, particular attention is required during their handling, considering also that, as it is well known to those skilled in the art, in the machines under consideration, the articles are conveyed by mechanisms of different type, with different transfers, and must be subjected to the effects o the mechanical actions of their handling.
The boxes are obtained from tubular blanks stored, in flat folded configuration, within a magazine, situated in the machine initial area. Means for withdrawing and opening the blanks are situated between the magazines and a conveying line, aimed at receiving the boxes and at conveying them through different operational stations.
Normally, the magazine is situated above the conveying line. This positioning causes a first problem deriving from the fact that particles of cardboard, dust and other impurities present between the blanks or formed during their withdrawal, fall right onto the conveying line, causing all the problems, known to those skilled in the art, that can result therefrom.
Another negative aspect lies in the fact that the positioning of the magazine above the conveying line causes the increase of the magazine height, making it more difficult to reach and affecting negatively the ergonomic characteristics of the machine in general.
Also the means for withdrawing and opening the blanks often do not facilitate an easily accessible positioning of the magazine, and often do not facilitate the placing of these elements, especially if the blanks are stored side by side on one edge and the machine must fill the boxes in vertical position.
The problem appears more noticeable if, in addition to the magazine of blanks, there is another magazine of elements of ribbed material, used for the preparation of supports for the articles to be introduced into the boxes.
The ergonomic aspect of the machine is negatively affected also by the conformation of the conveying line, which must leave the lower head of the boxes accessible for their closure, and thus it must extend along a loop path that passes below the closing means. This causes an increase of the vertical dimension of the loop path, increasing also the height of the active run of the conveying line, making it less easily accessible, and increasing the height of the machine in general too.
Another problem of this type of machines concerns the feeding of articles to be packaged and the removal of the boxes already packaged with the articles.
The articles are often supplied using a part of line, for example going out of the machine producing the articles, arranged in longitudinal alignment with the packaging machine. On the other hand, the point in which the articles reach the packaging machine is often situated on the machine side, according to a direction transversal with respect to the machine extension.
This requires a positioning of the packaging machine with perpendicular orientation with respect to the producing machine, with obvious difficulty in reasonable handling of the spaces for the machines placing.
In other cases, the arrangement of the machine disposed transversely with respect to the production line, becomes a need, which not always can be satisfied by the machines available at present, due to their specific constructive configuration.
The same problem occurs downstream of the machine, for the delivery of the articles already inserted into the boxes. The apparatuses working downstream of the machine are often arranged in line, i.e. aligned with the packaging machine. However, it often happens that it is necessary to withdraw the filled boxes along a direction transversal to the machine.
If, for example, the machine is oriented transversal with respect to the production line, also the products outlet line could be oriented at 90 degrees.
Likewise, this necessity causes serious difficulties in positioning the machines and dealing with the available spaces or, in other cases, it cannot be satisfied.
A further problem, that negatively affects the machine productivity, especially set up times, when the type of used package is changed, relates to the arrangement of the means aimed at placing an informative leaflet in the package together with the articles.
The leaflet can be placed before the article introduction, keeping it horizontal above the box, while the article is being inserted, dragging the sheet, which remains under the article bottom with the two ends extending upwards along the box sides.
Otherwise, the sheet can be placed folded above the article already inserted into the box, remaining then held in place by the cover of the closed box.
When the configuration is changed, because of the change of the product under process, it is necessary to change the motion of the leaflet placing means, and often to substitute parts thereof, adapting different elements to different operation.